Two position twin arm spring clip with lock



P. GRAFSTEIN 3,121,932

TWO POSITION TWIN ARM-SPRING CLIP WITH LOCK Feb. 25, 1964 Filed Aug. 5, 1962 IN VENTOR.

United States Patent 3,121,932 TWO POSiTilUN TWHJ ARM SPRING CLEP WETH LQCK Peter Grafstein, Artisan Jewelers inc, 9395 Nassau St, New York, N.Y. Fiied Ai'sg. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 214,685 12 Ciairns. (Cl. 24 250) This invention relates to a two position twin arm spring clip with lock.

Spring clips of the character described, that is to say clips constituting a pivoted member capable of assuming either one of two positions and formed with two joined parallel springy arms are well known in the jewelry trade. They are used principally in connection with earrings and ornamental and decorative clips, e.g., buttons and jewelry. Such a clip essentially constitutes a yoke supporting a pintle that extends between the standards of the yoke. A member having two joined arms of springy material such as wire has the free tips of its said arms pivoted on the pintle. The pivoted member is so shaped that in repose the tips of its twin arms have their outer sides spaced apart a distance in excess of the distance between the inner surfaces of the yoke standards. Hence the tips of the arms always are biased outwardly against the standards of the yoke. At least one and usually both standards of the yoke are provided with at least one and preferably two indentations, the indentations in the two standards where both standards are so shaped being transversely registered. The indentations in each standard usually are angularly spaced apart approximately 90 and are dimensioned to receive the tip of the associated twin arm. Hence when the pivoted member is positioned so that its arms are in alignment with either transversely registered pair of indentations the member Will tend to retain such a position. However the member can be manually forced to turn between the two positions, the tips of the arms camming out of the indentations when sufficient torque is supplied to said member.

The standards are connected to a support relative to which the pivoted member can swing. The support is so arranged that when the pivoted member is in one of its two alternate positions defined by one or the other pair of indentations, said member will be generally parallel to and adjacent the support and when the member is in its other position said member will be approximately perpendicular to the support. The first named position is the closed position of the clip and the second the open one.

Clips of the foregoing nature afford a reasonably firm connection to an element adapted to be compressed between the pivoted member and the support. Such an element for example can be a piece of fabric or the ear lobe of a person or a strand or loop of a necklace. Nevertheless the connection is not positive because the clip deliberately is made so that if sufficient torque is applied to the pivoted member it can be moved from closed to open position. Hence if the clip is used to attach an object having a real or sentimental value the wearer never will feel safe because the object always may accidentally come loose. Therefore, use of clips of the foregoing character for objects of value has been shunned, this despite the fact that such clips are inherently inexpensive and simple, generally reliable, except for the failure just noted, easy to manipulate and capable of rapid and economical mass production.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to modify a clip of the character described, that is to say a conventional two position twin arm spring clip, so as to lock the same easily and quickly in closed position.

More specifically it is an object of my invention to proample.

vide a novel lock for a conventional two position twin arm spring clip.

It is another object of my invention to provide a clip of the character described having a lock which is easy to manipulate and yet which will positively hold the clip in closed position.

It is another object of my invention to provide for a clip of the character described, a lock which although constituting an absolute minimum of parts is completely reliable in operation.

It is another object of my invention to provide for a clip of the character described, a lock which will not materially increase the cost of the clip or inhibit proper operation of the clip so that the thus modified clip can be used in all conventional applications even those involving attachments to objects of little value.

It is another object of my invention to provide for a clip of the character described, a lock which can be closed and opened with great ease and which does not tend to snag on clothing, to scratch a persons skin or to mar semiprecious or precious jewelry.

Other objects of my invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

My invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the device hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown one of the various possible embodiments of my invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a support, such as a hooked bar, on which there is mounted a two position twin arm spring clip having associated therewith a lock made in accordance with my present invention, the clip being shown in open position and the lock being shown disengaged;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with the clip in closed position and the lock disengaged;

PEG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with the clip in closed position and the lock engaged;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. '6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 of FIG. 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 16 denotes an ornament, or more particularly, the foundation, i.e., base, of an ornament, that is to say an object on which ornamentation may be supported or itself be ornamentally shaped. The particular ornament 10 shown comprises a hooked bar 12 and a two position twin arm spring clip 14 which is permanently connected thereto as by solder or rivets.

The hooked bar has been shown only by way of ex- It is merely typical of one shape and kind of object on which one or more ornamental pieces or parts may be secured. Thus instead of connecting the clip 14 toa hooked bar I might instead have used the back of an earring on the other surface of which suitable ornamentation would be aflixed. Or instead of the hooked bar I might use the back of a brooch on the other surface of which suitable ornamentation would be atfixed. The ornamentation might be inexpensive as, for instance, the type used in costume jewelry or it might consist of semiprecious or precious stones or pearls. Th ornamentation and the object to which it is affixed may be of a base metal which is plated or filled with a precious metal or it may solely consist of a base metal or a precious metal. In the latter case the clip preferably is made of the same precious metal and is attached to the object with a precious metal solder so that the entire ornament 10 can have a quality mark placed thereon. It thus will be seen that the hooked bar which has been illustrated has been shown simply by way of illustration of a typical object to which the spring clip 14 can be secured for a useful purpose.

Said hooked bar 12 is intended to be used in conjunction with the clip 14 for securing the ornament to a strand or loop of beads such, for instance, as pearls with a part of the bar on one side of the strand or loop and the clip on the other side of the strand or loop. To this end the hooked bar consists of a long straight reach l having a retroverted bend 18 at one end, to wit, the end remote from the end to which the clip is secured. Extending back from the retroverted bend is a short reach 2 The clip in closed position is intended to bridge the space from the tip of the short reach to the end of the long reach 16 at which the clip is secured. The surface of the long reach opposite to that on which the clip is attached, carries ornamentation. This however has not been illustrated since it does not affect the understanding or operation of my invention.

Except for the lock which will be detailed hereinafter the clip 14 is entirely conventional. Nevertheless it will be described in some detail since its construction forms a necessary background for the proper operation of my novel lock.

The clip 14 comprises a yoke 22 the base of which is secured as by soldering, elding, brazing or riveting to the end of the long reach 16 remote from the retroverted bend 13. The yoke is aligned with the tip of the short reach it) although spaced therefrom.

The yoke essentially is U-shaped, being provided with two standards 24 which are generally perpendicular to the long reach 16 and extend away therefrom. The standards are parallel to one another and are separated by a clear space 25. The critical dimension of this clear space is the minimum perpendicular distance between the confronting surfaces of the two parallel standards and not the perpendicular distances between such surfaces at indentations therein.

A pintle 28 has its ends secured in the standards and bridges the clear space 26. Preferably the pintle is situated approximately midway between the two end surfaces 24@ of the standards and is spaced downwardly a substantial distance, e.g., half the height of a standard, from the tips of the standards.

The clip further includes a U-shaped pivoted member 38 consisting of a retroverted bend 32 connecting a pair of arms 34 sometimes referred to herein as the twin arms. The particular configurations of the twin arms and the retroverted bend are of no special significance. These arms may with the retroverted bend form a circle or oval or the arms may be parallel over a substantial portion of their length as shown herein. The specific configuration of the pivoted member will depend upon the use to which the clip and ornament are to be put although in every case said member will comprise a pair of joined twin arms having free tips. A generally circular pivoted member usually is employed where the clip is used in connection with an earring, whereas a clip with an elongated pivoted member such as shown herein preferably is used where it is to span an appreciable space, this being the space for instance across the back of a hooked bar.

However, regardless of the general over-all configuration of the pivoted member the free tips of the twin arms thereof, these being the tips remote from the connection joining said arms, will be substantially straight and parallel. Moreover the pivoted member is formed of springy material, such for instance as a springy wire. is to be made of precious metal I may use a cold drawn 14K gold wire. The pivoted member is formed to such a configuration that the free tips of the twin arms are spaced apart in repose a distance such that the outer sides If the clip 4 of said tips are further apart than the maximum perpendicular distance (at the indentations) between the confronting surfaces of the standards.

The free tips of the twin arms are provided with registered openings in which the pintle is journalled, there being a slight clearance at said openings to permit ready shifting of the twin arms along the pintle. Due to this arrangement it will be apparent that the twin arms and, therefore, the pivoted member, can turn with respect to the yoke 22, rotating about the pintle 28.

conventionally the confronting surfaces of the standards are provided with matched indentations to retain the pivoted member in either open position as shown in FIG. 1 or in closed position such as shown in H6. 2 although my invention may be practiced if only one confronting surface has only one indentation, that being disposed to detain the pivoted member in closed position, and the other surface has no indentations.

More particularly one pair of registered indentations 36 are formed in the confronting surfaces of the standards, said indentations running downwardly toward the pintle from the tips of the standards, while another pair of registered indentations 33 are provided in the confronting surface of the standards, said latter pair of indentations running from the pintle toward the end surfaces 240 of the standards closer to the short reach 29.

Preferably these two pairs of registered indentations are about apart. Each indentation is of the proper size and dimension to fully and rather snugly receive a free tip of one of the twin arms 34' without appreciable play. Hence when the pivoted member is angularly aligned with a pair of matching indentations the tips of the twin arms will spring into the indentations so that the member will tend to retain its position whether it be open or closed.

If it is desired to move the pivoted member from either position to the other one, suflicicnt torque is applied to said member. This will cause the tips of the twin arms to ride out of the particular pair of registered indentations in which they then are disposed and to approach one another against the spring action of the pivoted memher until the two arms are close enough together to pass through the minimum perpendicular distance of the clear space 26. Then the member can be turned with comparative case until it reaches the other position whereupon the tips of the arms will snap out into the other pair of matching indentations. The minimum perpendicular distance of the clear space 26 angularly between the indentations is made sufficiently large to accommodate the tips of both twin arms during such passage between positions and preferably is not made much larger principally as a matter of convenience, economy and size.

If desired the corners of the indentations 36, 33 may be slightly rounded to facilitate camming the tips of the twin arms out of said indentations.

Said clip as described above is of a type well known in the jewelry trade and varies in inconsequential details depending upon the particular use to which it is to be put and the particular manufacturer who makes it. For instance as indicated previously the pivoted member may be of diverse configurations or the parts of the clip may be made of base metal or a precious metal depending upon the object to which the clip is to be attached. The size of the yoke may vary depending upon the weight of the ornament on which the clip is to be mounted and form a part. The springiness and dimensioning of the clip will be selected to furnish an appropriate holding force when the clip is in closed position. The configuration of the yoke may be varied to suit consumer demand. However, it will be observed that none of these variations afiect the basic construction and operation of the clip and it should be particularly clear that the clip as such does not constitute my invention although it does comprise one of the elements of the combination that is my invention.

Pursuant to my invention I provide in combination with the twin arm spring clip a lock 40 the purpose of which some:

is to hold the clip in one of its two selected positions. The lock herein shown and about to be described is so constructed that it will hold the clip in closed position, this being the position in which the clip ordinarily would be locked.

Said lock essentially consists simply of a latch 42 in the shape of a bar one short end 44 of which is angled so that the entire lock has a basically L-shaped configuration. Suitable means is included to mount the latch for movement between locked and unlocked positions. Preferably the mounting means is in the form of a pivotal connection. For this purpose the angled short end 44 of the latch is transversely apertured to receive a tiny shaft 46 the opposite ends of which are fixed to the base of the yoke 22.

To facilitate such connection the base of the yoke is formed with spaced tails 48 Which extend in a direction away from the bend 18. The tails are parallel to one another and are apertured in registry to receive the opposite ends of the shaft 46 which are fixed thereto. Preferably the latch bar 42 is centered between the two tails and for this purpose I may utilize spacing collars 50*. These collars may be separate from the latch and tails or they may be made functionally integral with either the latch or the tails. Thus the latch bar is located to swing in a plane perpendicular to the pintle 23 and extending between the tips of the twin arms 34.

The free end of the latch 42 has protruding therefrom in a direction facing the pivoted member 3b, a blocking tooth 52 which is the heart of the present invention. Said blocking tooth and the latch bar are so oriented that when the lock bar is in locking position shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 and the pivoted member is in closed position the blocking tooth extends between, holds apart, and is transverse to the plane defined by, the twin arms of the pivoted member 30. This arrangement conveniently is accomplished by having the angled short end 44 so position the long end of the latch bar 42 that in locked position said long end of the latch bar is above and substantially parallel to the pivoted member 30. Thereby the blocking tooth will be disposed perpendicular to the latch bar and will extend downwardly into the space between the twin arms. The portions of the twin arms between which the blocking tooth is interposed are rather close together, preferably being the free tips of the twin arms, and the width of the blocking tooth is substantially equal to the space between said arms when the same are in closed position and, accordingly, separated by a maximum space.

Attention is particularly directed to the fact that the space between the twin arms in closed position of the pivoted member is present because said member in such position has its twin arms semi-relaxed and their tips received in the matching pair of registered indentations 38. At such time the tips are sprung apart. This maximum space between the twin arms is to be distinguished from the minimum space between the twin arms as said arms are swung through the minimum width of the clear space 26 when they move from one to another set or pair of registered indentation-s. It will be recalled that during such shifting the arms of the pivoted member must approach one another since they have left the registered indentations.

To lock the pivoted member in closed position the latch 42. is swung so that the blocking tooth 52 enters between the twin arms of the U-shaped member and substantially filis the space therebetween. At this time the two flanks of the said tooth are in contact with the then most widely separated confronting surfaces of the twin arms whereby the twin arms are prevented from moving any closer toward one another. Hence with the tooth in the just described position it will not be possible to swing the pivoted member away from its closed position and toward its open position for such movement of the pivoted member must be accompanied by movement of the twin arms toward one another as they leave the registered indentations 38. Hence the locking action of the blocking tooth 52 is indirect, that is to say the tooth does not block movement of the pivoted member by placing an abutment in the arcuate path of travel of the pivoted member between closed and open positions. Rather the locking action of the tooth prevents the movement of the twin arms towards one another which is a condition precedent to the movement of the pivoted member from closed to open position since unless the arms can move together they are not able to enter into and shift through the minimum perpendicular distance of the clear space 26.

I prefer to provide the blocking tooth 52 with a slight groove 54 on each iiank, said grooves being positioned to engage and receive the confronting surfaces of the twin arms 34 so that the latch will remain in looking position when so set. The point of the tooth is tapered (wedge shaped) whereby to permit the tooth easily to enter between the confronting surfaces of the twin arms and flex the same apart slightly (the twin arms being springy) until the grooves 54 receive the twin arms. The ensuing detent engagement will stop the latch from being accidentally displaced but will not prevent manually swinging the latch to unlocked position to disengage the locking tooth from the twin arms.

To expedite this disengagement of the tooth I may, if desired, provide a fingernail manipulative nib 56 at the free end of the latch remote from the shaft 46 adjacent the base of the tooth S2 and perpendicular to the length of the tooth. This nib can be engaged by a persons finger between the ball of his thumb and his thumbnail to expedite the operation of lifting the latch so as to disengage it from the pivoted member.

When the latch is not in use it will be in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when it is locked it will be in the position shown in FIG. 3.

It thus will be seen that I have provided a device which achieves the several objects of my invention, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In combination with a twin arm spring clip comprising a yoke having a pair of spaced standards with confronting surfaces providing a clear space therebetween, at least one such confronting surface having at least one indentation therein, a member including two arms, each of said arms having a first end and a second end, the second end constituting a tip, means joining said first ends of said arms, means biasing said arms apart, said tips of said arms being located between the standards and having a combined thickness less than the distance between the standards at the clear space, said indentation being dimensioned, configured, and located to receive a tip of one of the arms in a certain position of the member with respect to the yoke, means pivotaliy connecting said arms to the standards so as to permit the tips of said arms to swing between the standards, said pivotal connecting means also permitting the tips of said arms to shift relative to one another in a direction parallel to the pivotal axis of rotation whereby the pivoted member can swing toward and away from said position in which atip of an arm is sprung into the indentation and whereby the tips of the arms approach one another to permit passage through the clear space between the standards as said pivoted member moves toward and away from said position, said arms in said position being spaced apart a certain distance adjacent the tips thereof when one arm is in said indentation: a lock for said clip, said lock comprising a tooth and means to mount the tooth for movement 7 into and away from the space between said arms when said member is in said position, the width of the tooth being large enough when the tooth is inserted into said space to prevent the arms from approaching one another sufficiently to enter into and move through said clear space.

In combination with a two position twin arm spring clip comprising a yoke having a pair of spaced standards in the confronting surfaces of which are provided two pairs of registered angularly spaced indentations, there being a clear space between the standards intermediate the indentations, a member including two arms, each of said arms having a first end and a second end, il'lQ S6C end end constituting a tip, means joining said first ends of said arms, means biasing said arms apart, said tips of said arms being located between the standards and having a combined thickness less than the distance between the standards at the clear space, means pivotally connecting said arms to the standards so as to permit the tips of said arms to swing about an axis of rotation between the standards, said pivotal connecting means also permitting the tips of said arms to shift relative to one another in a direction parallel to said axis of rotation whereby the pivoted member can swing from one to another of two positions in each of which the tips of the arms are sprung into the registered indentations and intermediate which the tips of the arms approach one another to permit passage through the clear space between the standards from one to the other of such positions, said arms in one such position being spaced apart a certain distance adjacent the tips thereof when the arms are in a registered pair of indentations: a lock for said clip, said lock comprising a tooth having flanks and means to mount the tooth for insertion into and movement away from the space between said arms when said arms are in said one position, the width of the tooth being large enough when the tooth is inserted into said space to prevent the arms from approaching one another sufficiently to enter into and move through said clear space.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the 8 width of the tooth is appr xi ately equal to the distance between the arms in the one position.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the one position is a closed position of the clip.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein the width of the tooth is approximately equal to the distance between the arms in the one position.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein the flanks of the tooth have outwardly extending grooves to receive the arms when the same are inserted into the space between said arms.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the means mounting the tooth is a pivot.

8. A combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein the tooth is in one piece with a latch and the latch is pivoted to a member functionally integral with the yoke.

9. A combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the tooth is mounted for movement perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the arms.

10. A combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the tooth is mounted for movement in a plane between the arms of the pivoted member.

11. A combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein a nib is functionally integral with the tooth and is disposed at a substantial angle thereto so as to be engageable by a finger for urging the tooth away from the space between the arms.

12. A combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the lock includes an L-shaped latch bar having one leg pivotally connected to a member functionally integral with the yoke for rotation about an axis parallel to the a of rotation of the arms and wherein the tooth projects from the other leg of the latch bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A TWIN ARM SPRING CLIP COMPRISING A YOKE HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED STANDARDS WITH CONFRONTING SURFACES PROVIDING A CLEAR SPACE THEREBETWEEN, AT LEAST ONE SUCH CONFRONTING SURFACE HAVING AT LEAST ONE INDENTATION THEREIN, A MEMBER INCLUDING TWO ARMS, EACH OF SAID ARMS HAVING A FIRST END AND A SECOND END, THE SECOND END CONSTITUTING A TIP, MEANS JOINING SAID FIRST ENDS OF SAID ARMS, MEANS BIASING SAID ARMS APART, SAID TIPS OF SAID ARMS BEING LOCATED BETWEEN THE STANDARDS AND HAVING A COMBINED THICKNESS LESS THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE STANDARDS AT THE CLEAR SPACE, SAID INDENTATION BEING DIMENSIONED, CONFIGURED, AND LOCATED TO RECEIVE A TIP OF ONE OF THE ARMS IN A CERTAIN POSITION OF THE MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO THE YOKE, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID ARMS TO THE STANDARDS SO AS TO PERMIT THE TIPS OF SAID ARMS TO SWING BETWEEN THE STANDARDS, SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTING MEANS ALSO PERMITTING THE TIPS OF SAID ARMS TO SHIFT RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE PIVOTAL AXIS OF ROTATION WHEREBY THE PIVOTED MEMBER CAN SWING TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID POSITION IN WHICH A TIP OF AN ARM IS SPRUNG INTO THE INDENTATION AND WHEREBY THE 